07/21/23
Cardinal Tennis Team, athletes recognized by ITAÂ
Gadsden, Ala.-- The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced the 2023 JUCO Men’s ITA Scholar-Athletes and All-Academic Teams.
ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ is proud to announce that four student-athletes and the men’s tennis team have earned honors for their work in the classroom–qualifying as one of eight ITA All-Academic teams. The Cardinal tennis team is coached by Buster Stewart.
According to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the governing body of college tennis, academia is an integral aspect of the college tennis experience and adds to the unique student-athlete experience found on college campuses across the nation.
Within the sport of tennis, student-athletes continue to exceed expectations in the classroom and on the court. In 2023, 53 JUCO Men’s student-athletes were named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, and eight men’s tennis programs were awarded the All-Academic Team distinction.
Noah Hefner of Southside, Andrew Keeton of Killen, Evan Stewart of Enterprise and Riley Woerner of Acworth, Ga., earned honors as scholar athletes. To earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must be a varsity letter winner, have a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters (including freshman through senior year).
The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any member program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above. All eligible student-athletes whose names appear on the NCAA, NAIA or Junior/Community College eligibility form and have competed in one or more varsity matches must average into the GPA for the current academic year.
“It’s an admirable accomplishment to not only excel on the tennis court but also in the classroom,” said Athletic Director Blake Lewis. “We are extremely proud of the academic accomplishments of this team. They and their coach are to be commended for the honor.”